Weekly news from around the 32 counties of Ireland

'Mindless vandals' have been accused of exploiting the shocking murders at Massereene Barracks to widen community divisions across Antrim.

Recent days have seen a disturbing escalation in tit-for-tat sectarian slogans splashed over gable walls.

But the deteriorating situation hit a new low last week when the Sappers slaughtered in cold-blood as they collected a last supper of pizza from the front gates of their camp were thrust back into the spotlight.
(Source: The Antrim Guardian)
ARMAGH

An order for a cash-strapped buyer to complete on an apartment in the Titanic Quarter in Belfast would be impossible to enforce, the High Court has heard.

Lawyers for a jobless man being sued for failing to honor a purchase contract argued that their client was completely without cash.
The defense is being put forward as a test case and may determine the wider action brought by Titanic Quarter Ltd.
(Source: BBC news)

CARLOW

Traders on Tullow Street are fighting back following a series of body blows.

Business owners from Carlow town’s main street held a meeting last week to discuss their future amidst shock over the closure of one of the street’s long-standing businesses.

The owner of Bosco’s Butchers took the heartbreaking decision to close his original Tullow Street premises after business plummeted in recent years.
(Source: The Carlow Nationalist)

CAVAN

The applications from prospective students at Cavan Institute have rocketed this year and currently stand at 3,500 according the CEO of County Cavan VEC, Colm McEvoy.

He explained that they can take 1,600 in the further education centre and pointed out that there are resources for 1,210.
"That is the position that pertains at the moment and it is a very serious situation.
(Source: The Anglo Celt)

CLARE

Having raised nearly €300,000 through a share initiative, negotiations by a local group to purchase and reopen Sixmilebridge livestock mart have fallen through after the vendors, Golden Vale Marts, rejected their bid.

And this week GVM group chief executive, PJ Buckley revealed the group would have to splash more cash if they hope to acquire the property. GVM, he added, has received a number of expressions of interest in the vacant site at Ballysheen and the bid by the Sixmilebridge and District Farmers Group “didn’t match expectations”.

“They are not the highest bidders and if you are selling a property normally, you will sell to the highest bidder.
We have no specific timeframe to close a deal on the mart site in Sixmilebridge.
(Source: The Clare Champion)
CORK

Research scientist Dr Mark Tangney from Macroom has won the Junior Chamber International's 'Most Outstanding Young Person of the Year' award at their annual award ceremony in Limerick two weeks ago.
(Source: The Corkman)

DERRY

A delegation of influential American politicians visited Derry last weekend to discuss how they can play a role in the city's economic regeneration.

The visit, which has been organized by Foyle Sinn Féin MLA Martina Anderson, will see the Massachusetts Senate president, Therese Murray, and Senator Joan Menard, Assistant Majority leader of the Senate, come to the city to meet with business and civil leaders.

It will be the second time Senator Murray has visited Derry.
(Source: The Derry Journal)

DONEGAL

Flooding in Nashville, Tennessee, has forced the postponement of Daniel O'Donnell's long-awaited appearance at the famed Grand Ole Opry, known as the 'spiritual home' of American country music.

The Grand Ole Opry has been home to some of the biggest names in country music for decades.

But extreme weather in May led the River Cumberland to burst its banks, leaving the Opry under several feet of water.

The entertainment complex has been closed since, while crews carry out renovations and refurbishments.
(Source: Donegal Democrat)
DOWN

A man who stabbed his girlfriend to death in front of guests at a house party has pleaded guilty to her murder.

Mark Wallace, 26, from Elmwood Drive in Bangor told friends he was thinking of stabbing Katie Hughes weeks in advance of her death in April 2009.

This week, a judge will tell Wallace, a former cocaine addict, how much of a life sentence he will have to serve before he is eligible for parole.

It is expected that a minimum tariff of 16 years will be set.
(Source: BBC News)
DUBLIN

An estimated 30,000 people took a bite out of the Taste of Dublin festival last weekend.

Despite the recession, hungry Dubs flocked to the Iveagh Gardens to get stuck into the treats on offer from more than 100 stalls.
Organizers hoped the crowd figures remain as strong as in previous years.

The festival is in its fifth year, and most of Dublin's top restaurants signed up, including Bon Appetit, Balzac, Diep Le Shaker and Roly's Bistro, offering dishes for around €6.
(Source: The Evening Herald)

FERMANAGH

A priest has been convicted by a court in Co Tyrone of sexually abusing three Fermanagh sisters over the course of a decade.

Fr Eugene Lewis (76), was found guilty by a jury at Omagh Crown Court guilty of 11 counts of indecently assaulting the three Co Fermanagh sisters separately and on differing dates between August 1963 and September 1973.

Lewis, the former provincial superior of the Society of Missionaries of Africa, based in Dublin, had denied the charges.
(Source: The Fermanagh Herald)

GALWAY

Galway City Council is owed more than €5 million by developers who have failed to pay development contribution levies in respect of building projects on 66 sites throughout the city.

Court proceedings have been instigated against developers in 17 cases of non-payment of the levy, which is payable to the local authority prior to the commencement of construction.
(Source: Galway News)
KERRY

Kerry's ravaged economy appears to be returning to marginal growth according to a range of new figures published in the last two weeks.

Key economic indicators for the county, including jobless rates, house and car sales have all shown an upward swing in recent months, potentially signaling the beginnings of a recovery for the county.

Live register figures for May showed Kerry's jobless rate declined for the third month in a row, falling to a total of 15,955 last month.
(Source: The Kerryman)
KILDARE

A vicious fight between rival groups of Travelers caused terror for local people attending the weekly market in Kildare town Thursday morning before last.

The row broke out mid-way through the morning market, with those involved wielding a range of weapons, including sticks and iron bars.

In total, around 10 people were embroiled in the fight, as frightened locals stood back or left the normally peaceful marketplace in horror.

Gardaí and ambulance services were on the scene quickly and one man was taken to hospital to be treated for a head wound.
(Source: The Kildare Nationalist)

KILKENNY

Life in the Big Apple has turned sour on Kilkenny tenor, Ronan Tynan, but even if he has moved to a new base in Boston he hasn't given up on New York or its people.

Not so long ago the Johnstown man was the toast of the city that never sleeps.

He rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous, including President Bush and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

And he had one of the most treasured gigs in the city, singing 'God Bless America' in Yankee Stadium before Major League baseball league games. New York was his oyster.

I won't cut all ties with New York," Tynan told the 'People when he gave a frank and revealing interview.

"No, I love New York. I love the people there. I spent 10 years there. A lot of New Yorkers are very troubled over the way this was put forward."

'This' centered around a casual remark made by the tenor that led to him being branded an anti-Semite in a city that is home to the world's largest Jewish population outside Israel.
(Source: The Kilkenny People)

LAOIS

Work is underway to bring the Portlaoise water supply "back within safe supply limits in the short term", it has emerged.
The county town has had severe pressure on its water supply and rationing was introduced a number of months back due to water leaks following severe frost at the turn of the year.

Laois County Council issued a notice in April announcing that water will be rationed in the Portlaoise, Ballyroan and Ballyfin area for the foreseeable future.
(Source: The Leinster Express)
LEITRIM

County Leitrim's two Fianna Fail Senators, John Ellis and Paschal Mooney, along with Roscommon/South Leitrim Fianna Fail TD, Michael Finneran and party colleague, Sligo/North Leitrim TD, Eamonn Scanlon have opted to claim expenses without receipts according to a report in a national paper.

The remaining TDs serving Co Leitrim: Fianna Fail's Jimmy Devins and Fine Gael's Denis Naughten; John Perry and Frank Feighan, have all opted to provide receipts in support of their expense claims.
(Source: The Leitrim Observer)
LIMERICK

Mayor Kevin Kiely claims the people of Limerick are right behind his call for hanging murderers – and says that members of the victims' families and media should be able to witnesses the executions.

"I think it is high time that the Government had a referendum on the issue and I am confident it would be passed.

There is not enough deterrent there for people who commit murder," the outspoken politician said, adding that he had received widespread support from the public following his comments.
(Source: The Limerick Leader)

LONGFORD

Hundreds of people attended last Saturday's march in Mullingar to protest against any reduction of services at the Midlands Regional Hospital.

The campaign against speculated cuts has gathered momentum in the past two weeks with over 200 people signing an online petition against any cuts and large numbers traveled from Longford to attend the event on Saturday.
(Source: The Longford Leader)
LOUTH
All cases of misdiagnosed miscarriage recorded over the past five years, as well as the cases of any other women now coming forward with stories of similar incidents, are to be reviewed, the Health Service Executive (HSE) said last week.

While earlier last week the HSE said cases of misdiagnosed miscarriage were “very rare”, about a dozen women have come forward over the last week with stories of having been wrongly told by maternity hospitals they were carrying dead babies, only to give birth later to healthy infants.

Earlier last week, Melissa Redmond from Donabate, Co Dublin, said she was prescribed an abortifacient after an initial scan at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, in July 2009 showed no foetal heartbeat.

Before taking the drugs and by following her own gut instinct, she sought another scan from her GP who discovered the baby was alive.

A review of her case also found the scanner used in her misdiagnosis to be inadequate but it continued to be used for another six months.

When it was replaced in January this year it was only by a “leased” machine.
(Source: The Irish Times)
MAYO

A Ballina man who was deported from Israel along with his wife and three other Irish citizens has called on Mayo people to boycott Israeli goods to help stop what he describes as a ‘slow form of genocide’, which is taking place in Gaza.

Fiona Thompson arrived in Dublin airport last Monday after being deported from Israel.
(Source: Mayo News)

MEATH

A historic day for the county was how the Minister for Transport and self-declared proud Meathman, Noel Dempsey, described the opening of the M3 motorway as he cut the green and gold ribbon Friday morning last on a section of the new motorway outside Navan.

The scheme signifies a major investment in the physical infrastructure of the region, he told the sun-drenched gathering, which included public representatives, Chamber of Commerce members, representatives from the National Roads Authority, the Eurolink consortium which built the road and many other groups involved in the building of the M3.

A small group of protesters who had campaigned against the motorway route going through the historic Tara-Skryne landscape was prevented by Gardai from getting onto the new road at the Athboy Road/Navan North interchange for the formal opening.
(Source: The Meath Chronicle)

OFFALY

An Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Brian Cowen officially opened the Offaly Local Development offices at Millennium House on Main Street, Tullamore last Friday.

And he encouraged people in Offaly to avail of the €11.5million in funding the development company has been awarded under the Rural Development Program 2009 to 2013.
(Source The Offaly Express)
ROSCOMMON

The Promoters of a biopark for Tibohine are adamant that construction and ground works will begin at the site in Ballinphuill before the end of the summer, with or without the support of the local people.

Tibohine residents are claiming that they have been “misled” by the company planning to establish the bio-park.

So incensed are they by the plans by the company to seek a 25,000 ton waste license from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that they have commenced a signature campaign against the development, have lodged objections with the EPA.
(Source: The Roscommon Champion)
SLIGO

A Sligo town drug gang have been using high tech tracking equipment to bring drugs ashore in West Sligo.

A wooden pallet of drugs was floated from a boat a few miles off Aughris and picked up by gang members who brought the drugs back to Sligo.

The criminals then made their way back to Sligo via a maze of back roads, some weeks ago.

Gang members have been using quiet beaches like Dunmoran and Trabhui to drop off the drugs over the past 15 years, according to sources.
(Source: The Sligo Champion)
TIPPERARY

The fabulous new Tipperary Technology Park in Thurles was officially opened last week by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O'Keeffe TD bringing a total investment by Shannon Development in the Park to €7.4 million.

The €3.6 million Innovation Works 3 comprises a 21,500 sq/ft two-storey office building and associated site works including an increase to the existing car parking area with the total industrial space in the Park now over 45,000sq/ft.
(Source: The Tipperary Star)

TYRONE

Local government in Dungannon ushered in a new era last week, with Sinn Fein councilor, Michelle O'Neill, elected as the council's first ever female Mayor.

Local government in Dungannon ushered in a new era last Monday, with Sinn Fein councilor, Michelle O'Neill, due to be elected as the council's first ever female Mayor.
(Source: Tyrone Today)
WATERFORD

Challenges have been coming fast and thick for a Tramore father of three who has twice won his battle against cancer and the week before last wrote himself into the record books with a marathon record-breaking paddle across the Irish Sea.

Brian Fanning, who resides at Roselawn, Tramore, and his long time friend and kayaking companion, Mick O’Meara, also from Tramore, were the record holders having already paddled from Rosslare to Wales in 10 hours and 17 minutes back in 2002.
(Source: Waterford News & Star)

WESTMEATH

Athlone TD Mary O'Rourke has criticized the portrayal of Athlone in last week's special edition of the RTE Prime Time program, which was broadcast from the town.

Deputy O'Rourke was in the audience for the live program hosted by Miriam O'Callaghan but was not asked to contribute to the discussion at any stage.
(Source: The Westmeath Independent)

WEXFORD

Former inter-county hurler Greg Jacob from Davidstown has apologized last week for taking part in X-rated film with British porn star Tanya Tate.
(Source: The Wexford People)

WICKLOW

A hardened psychic regarded as one of the best at his job in the country has been moved to tears by ghostly spirits haunting Wicklow's Historic Gaol recently. The image has been the subject of controversy recently.
(Source: The Wicklow People)